


Struck

by wednesday



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: M/M, Trapped In Elevator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-06-03 14:43:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19466152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wednesday/pseuds/wednesday
Summary: Tony wants to rewind this whole conversation, better yet the entire day and start again. On the second go he would know better and just not get out of bed in the morning.





	Struck

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thinlizzy2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thinlizzy2/gifts).



Tony wants to rewind this whole conversation, better yet the entire day and start again. On the second go he would know better and just not get out of bed in the morning.

“Look, kid, just.” Tony rubs the bridge of his nose, tries to smooth away the headache building behind his eyes. It gives him an excuse to close his eyes for a moment. “It doesn’t matter.”

Peter looks like he wants to argue, so Tony keeps talking, his voice slightly louder to keep some semblance of control over this conversation. “Since you’re here, come down to the lab, I’ll run some diagnostics on your suit. Come on, time’s wasting.”

Peter follows him into the elevator. The silence is another thing that bothers Tony now. He remembers how the kid was impossible to shut up and the difference is jarring for some reason.

There elevator is big enough for a dozen people, but Tony still has to put effort into standing his ground. He’d like to melt into the wall to be as far away from Peter as possible and he’d love to press him into the wall and run his hands all over to make sure he’s okay and no longer broken and bleeding.

“So what diagnostics--” Peter starts to ask, and it feels like a peace offering Tony doesn’t deserve. That’s when the elevator comes to a halt and the lights go out. The red emergency lights turn on just a couple of seconds later.

“Uh. Mister Stark?”

“Working on it. Friday, what’s going on?” His question is met by silence from the speakers. “Friday?”

“The, uh, power going out turned off the speaker system maybe?” Peter says it like a question. His voice helps keep the rising panic at bay.

“Friday has emergency power to her emergency power. What’s more, the power can’t ‘go out’ in my tower, it’s run by an arc reactor,” Tony says and takes his phone out of his pocket. “And we have no signal, of course we don’t.”

“I have some, uh, experience with falling down an elevator shaft. Would not recommend.” Peter’s looking around nervously.

“This is my elevator, Parker.”

“Yeah, I don’t think the fall is going to be all that different.”

“There won’t be a fall, there are mechanical safeguards. This elevator is entirely fall-proof.”

“Oh, okay. Good.” After a long pause Peter says,“So, someone’s breaking into your tower.”

“Yes, yes they are.” There are a dozen different back-up systems that would kick in before it would come to a power outage and Friday being down. The fact someone’s managed to bypass all of them–well.

“What do we do?”

“Nothing.”

“Not– What do you mean nothing? I could–” Peter sounds agitated, and at least this is a lesson Tony remembers from the ferry incident. He can slow down and explain, because he knows the kid will go off on his own, if he’s given empty assurances.

“I’m going to stop you right there. Friday’s sending suits over right now. An emergency protocol – she’s cut off from me for more than a minute and a security alert goes out.” She has the same kind of protocol for Peter’s suit, Tony doesn’t say. When Peter refused the new one, Tony programmed it into the old suit, too, still exhausted and high on adrenaline, guilt and sheer terror after watching everything he could piece together of that night from various security cameras.

“Oh.”

They stand in silence for a minute. The faint red light makes Peter look older somehow, the shadows on his face deeper. Tony leans against the elevator wall and watches Peter. He can pretend it’s not as weird with the lights so dim, but really, who is he kidding, he crossed into weird and vaguely inappropriate the moment they met. It’s really hard to regret it, though.

Peter leans back against the opposite wall and the way his hips tilt forward looks indecent with the way the Spiderman suit clings to his form. The low lights remind Tony of the bedroom, _and_ it’s time to change the tracks, _Jesus_.

“So. Not joining the Avengers. Have you had a change of heart yet?”

Peter makes some kind of face that Tony doesn’t know how to interpret, but it definitely doesn’t look happy. For a change Tony’s not the one wanting to run away from this conversation here.

“No offence, Mister Stark, but no. I’m good.”

Tony’s had a lot more practice at hiding his displeasure and it’s not as much of a shock as the first time, so his face doesn’t give away anything. That’s Peter’s choice and he can respect it.

“I could get the ceiling panel open pretty easily, and–”

“Kid, _no_. Listen to me this once, please. Can you pretend to do as I say, at least while I’m standing right next to you?” Seriously, he’s ready to beg, here. He doesn’t have a suit with him and there’s no way his heart can take the kid going off on his own against the kind of people that can break into his tower and security systems. Again.

“But–”

“No!” Tony shouts and sees Peter flinch away. “Fuck, sorry, kid.” He sighs and runs his hand over his face. He’s so tired of arguing with people. “Just. Stay put. Friday and law enforcement will take care of everything.”

This time the silence lasts longer.

“Um. I was going to say, do we have to stay inside the elevator? Because I could get us back upstairs. Your jet is there, so.”

That might actually be a good idea; Tony’s been ignoring the issue, but they _are_ trapped in an enclosed space with no fast exits. Damn, he came here tonight to be alone because he is absolutely unfit for company. Peter’s company in particular.

Peter’s still watching him warily, like he expects Tony to shout again, but also plans to argue his point anyway.

“Yeah, you know what, that’s not the worst idea. Okay, go, get us out, chop chop.”

Surprise flashes across Peter’s face, but then he smiles his unbelievably wide smile and jumps up. He clings to the ceiling and opens the hatch and disappears through it.

“Give me your hand, I’ll pull you up,” Peter says and reaches down. Tony takes a hold of Peter’s arm and his fingers close around Tony’s arm in an iron grip. It’s disorienting being lifted up like he weighs nothing. He lands very close to Peter, their faces just inches apart. Peter looks surprised like he isn’t the one who got them in this position and then he’s smiling uncertainly. There’s a moment of stillness and then they both move away.

Tony looks around for the maintenance ladder.

“So, uh, just, like, hold on to me?” Peter says and it sounds like a question more than a suggestion. He’s holding one hand up, a web stretching upwards from it all the way to the top of the elevator shaft. It takes Tony a moment to get what he’s saying.

“Are you serious right now?” It’s the worst possible idea, God, Peter is the worst and should never be allowed to make plans. “No, don’t answer that, of course you’re serious.” Tony takes a deep breath.

He tries not to hesitate as he puts his hands around Peter’s neck. They slot together, chest to chest and their faces next to each other and Peter’s free hand around Tony’s waist. The good thing about it is there’s no way Peter can see Tony’s face like this. He’s never been this close to Peter, not when Peter hugged him in that car, not when he couldn’t resist pulling him close to make sure he was real and alive after everything with the Vulture. He shouldn’t be, for a lot of reasons. God, so many reasons.

“Okay, sure, beam us up.”

“Uh, here we go,” Peter says and makes the suit start reeling them both up. The moment their feet are off the ground gravity presses their bodies even closer. They move up with excruciating slowness.

“No, you know what, I’m going to ask – why are you turning down a position in the Avengers? I know it’s what you wanted.”

“That’s kind of out of nowhere.”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Look, Mister Stark, I know I messed up pretty much everything. And like you said, if I’m nothing without the suit… Well, here I am, working on being someone, helping in a way that won’t hurt people. I’m very grateful for the suit, but. It’s better this way.” He doesn’t sound upset, actually he sounds kind of happy about it. It makes no sense and Tony did not expect this to be the reason. He has no idea what he expected, but definitely not this.

“Kid. Peter, you didn’t mess everything up, it was a joint effort, okay?” It seems like not enough, but fuck if Tony knows what to say here. He’s probably messing everything up even now. “I understand you may not want me to be anywhere near your missions after the way I handled things, but Rhodey is extremely dependable and he’s seen you in action, he would love to work with you.”

That would definitely be for the best. Tony tries to ignore the twinge of _something_ at the thought of giving up what little contact he has with Peter. It just proves that he should stay away from the kid.

There’s no change in their ascent, but Peter’s arm tightens around Tony’s waist.

“I’m not. Of course I want to, that’s–” Tony doesn’t find out what exactly ‘that’ is because they’re at the top of the shaft. “Okay, put your legs around my waist, I’ll swing us to the door.”

Is this a dream? Is he dreaming? He wants to lean back and stare at Peter with the most incredulous expression he can manage, but he doesn’t want to share that falling down an elevator shaft experience.

Sure, of course he can put his legs around Peter’s waist, it’s not like they’ve ever had an interaction that wasn’t in some way inappropriate, why start now.

He does as asked and Peter does as he said he would – he swings to the elevator door sticks to said door and pries it open. They stumble through and Peter steadies them. Tony puts his feet on the ground and lets go of Peter’s neck. He’s stopped from taking a very necessary step back by the arm Peter still has around his waist.

“I want to work with you, Mister Stark.” The slight hesitation before the _work_ sets Tony’s mind spinning, imagining all the other things Peter could possibly want to do. Peter is smiling at him and still holding on.

God, no one could possibly blame him. That’s a lie, everyone could blame him, he’s blaming himself, but he still closes the barely there distance between them and kisses Peter.

It feels like falling, like an explosion of _God, yes, finally_ and _Danger, turn back._

Peter returns the kiss eagerly and Tony does not turn back.


End file.
